1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CF (compact flash) card to be loaded into a personal computer, a video camera, and other suitable electronic devices(xe2x80x9ccompact flashxe2x80x9d is a registered trademark).
2. Description of the Related Art
CF cards are broadly classified into two types, Type 1 and Type 2. FIG. 5 is an example of a Type-1 CF card 1, and FIG. 6 is an example of a Type-2 CF card 2. The shapes and sizes of such Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards 1 and 2 are determined by a standard. The Type-1 CF card 1 and the Type-2 CF card 2 have completely different thicknesses, and the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card 2 is greater than the thickness D1 of the Type-1 CF card 1. The Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards 1 and 2 have substantially equal width W and length L.
A circuit board (not shown) with electronic components mounted thereon is included in such CF cards 1 and 2. A plurality of socket portions 3 and 4 are provided at the front end portion of the CF cards 1 and 2 so as to be electrically connected to the circuit on the built-in circuit board. The socket portions 3 and 4 are arranged in upper and lower rows. The heights h1 and h2 of the upper and lower rows from bottom surface B1 and B2 are equal to each other.
Such CF cards 1 and 2 can be used as PC cards by loading them in a PC card adapter. FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view of an example of a PC card adapter 6, and FIG. 4B is a schematic sectional view of the PC card adapter 6, taken along line Axe2x80x94A in FIG. 4A.
The PC card adapter 6 is shaped like a card, and has a CF-card storage section 7. An opening 7a is provided at the rear end portion of the CF-card storage section 7 to define a CF-card insertion slot. An opening 7b is also provided in the upper surface of the CF-card storage section 7 on the card insertion side.
A plurality of connecting terminal pins 8 protrude from a front end surface 7c of the CF-card storage section 7. The connecting terminal pins 8 are arranged corresponding to the rows of the socket portions 3 of the CF card 1, and are fitted in the socket portions so as to electrically connect the circuit of the CF card 1 and the circuit of the PC card adapter 6.
Top and bottom plates 10 and 11 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins 8 at a distance therefrom so as to protect the connecting terminal pins 8 from being damaged.
In order to load the CF card 1 into such a PC-card adapter 6, for example, the front end portion of the CF card 1 (that is, a portion where the socket portions 3 are provided) is inserted into the rear opening 7a of the CF-card storage section 7 of the PC card adapter 6, and the CF card 1 is slid into the CF-card storage section 7. Consequently, the front end portion of the CF card 1 enters the space 12 between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 11 disposed on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins 8, and the socket portions 3 at the front end portion of the CF card 1 are fitted to the connecting terminal pins 8 of the PC card adapter 6, such that the CF card 1 is placed inside the CF-card storage section 7 with its upper surface exposed. In this way, the CF card 1 is loaded in the PC card adapter 6.
The shape and size of the PC card adapter 6 are determined by a standard, and the thickness d of the PC card adapter 6 is substantially equal to the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card 2. For this reason, the distance between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 11 in the PC card adapter 6 is less than the thickness D2 of the Type-2 CF card 2, and the front end portion of the Type 2 CF card 2 cannot enter the space 12 between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 11. Consequently, the Type-2 CF card 2 cannot be loaded in the PC card adapter 6 shown in FIG. 4. That is, the PC card adapter 6 is used exclusively for the Type-1 CF card 1.
Accordingly, a PC card adapter has been proposed in which not only a Type-1 CF card 1 but also a Type-2 CF card 2 can be loaded. In this adapter, since the connecting terminal pins 8 are not protected by the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 11 when the Type-2 CF card 2 is loaded, the PC card adapter for both Type-1 and Type-2 is provided with a special mechanism for protecting the connecting terminal pins 8.
For example, in a PC card adapter 14 shown in FIG. 7A, a CF-card storage section 15 is open at the upper and lower sides, and is also open at the rear end portion so as to define a card insertion portion. A plurality of connecting terminal pins 16 are arranged at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section 15, and a pin-protecting cover 17 is provided to protect the connecting terminal pins 16. The PC card adapter 14 has a mechanism that retracts the pin-protecting cover 17 and exposes the connecting terminal pins 16 when a CF card 2 (1) is slid into the CF-card storage section 15, as shown in FIG. 7B. The CF card 1 or 2 can be loaded in the PC card adapter 14 by exposing the connecting terminal pins 16 with the mechanism.
In a manner similar to that in the above-described PC card adapter 14, in a PC card adapter 20 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a CF-card storage section 21 is open at the upper and lower sides and is also open at the rear end portion to define a card insertion portion, a plurality of connecting terminal pins 23 are arranged at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section 21, and a pin-protecting cover 22 is provided to protect the connecting terminal pins 23. In the PC card adapter 20, the pin-protecting cover 22 is retracted and the connecting terminal pins 23 are exposed by operating an operating portion 22a. As a result, the CF card 1 or 2 can be loaded into the PC card adapter 20.
Some Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards have a so-called extended shape, as shown in the side view of FIG. 3. An extended type CF card 1xe2x80x2 or 2xe2x80x2 is provided with an extended portion 25 that protrudes rearward from the CF-card storage section 7, 15, or 21 when the CF card 1xe2x80x2 or 2xe2x80x2 is loaded in the PC card adapter 6, 14, or 20. Since the size of the extended portion 25 is not limited by a standard, the extended portion 25 can be made thicker (taller) than other portions such that taller electronic components can be provided therein.
Since the Type-2 CF card 2 is thicker (in other words, taller) than the Type-1 CF card 1, taller electronic components can be mounted on the internal circuit board than in the Type-1 CF card 1. For this reason, in the extended Type-2 CF card 2xe2x80x2, the size of the extended portion 25 is reduced, and thus the size of the CF card is reduced.
However, such a Type-2 CF-card 2 or 2xe2x80x2 can be used as a PC card only when used with the above-described PC card adapter 14 or 20 having a complicated mechanism. Since the PC card adapter 14 or 20 has a complicated mechanism, these PC card adapters 14 and 20 are expensive and failure-prone.
In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a CF card that can be loaded in a PC card adapter for a Type-1 CF card having a simplified structure and that can incorporate therein taller electronic components than the Type-1 CF card.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a CF card to be loaded in a PC card adapter in which an upper surface on a card insertion side of a CF-card storage section has an opening from which the card is exposed, and a connecting terminal pin disposed at the front end portion of the CF-card storage section is protected by a top plate and a bottom plate provided on the upper and lower sides at a distance from the connecting terminal pin, wherein a front portion of the CF card having a socket portion to be fitted to the connecting terminal pin of the PC card adapter defines a space-entering portion that enters the space between the top plate and the bottom plate on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pin of the PC card adapter, an upper portion of the CF card exposed from the upper opening of the CF-card storage section of the PC card adapter has an increased height portion having a greater height than the space-entering portion, and the upper surface of the increased height portion is substantially flush with the upper surface of the PC card adapter when the CF card is placed in the CF-card storage section of the PC card adapter.
Preferably, the CF card is an extended type including an extended portion that protrudes rearward from the PC card adapter when it is loaded in the PC card adapter.
Preferably, the extended portion includes a tall portion which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the PC card adapter when the CF card is loaded in the PC card adapter.
When the CF card of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is loaded in the PC card adapter in which the connecting terminal pins are protected by the top and bottom plates (that is, the PC card adapter for a Type-1 CF card), the space-entering portion at the front side of the CF card is inserted and placed in the space between the top plate and the bottom plate disposed on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins of the PC card adapter, and the socket portions provided in the space-entering portion are fitted to the connecting terminal pins of the PC card adapter. The upper surface of the tall portion of the CF card is exposed from the upper opening of the CF-card storage section, and is substantially flush with the upper surface of the PC card adapter.
Since the front portion of the CF card has the space-entering portion that enters the space between the top plate and the bottom plate disposed on the upper and lower sides of the connecting terminal pins of the PC card adapter, the CF card can be used as a PC card by being loaded in a PC card adapter in which the connecting terminal pins are protected by the top and bottom plates (that is, a PC card adapter for a Type-1 CF card). For this reason, it is unnecessary to use a PC card adapter that has a complicated mechanism and is thereby expensive and failure-prone (that is, a PC card adapter for both Type-1 and Type-2 CF cards).
Since the upper portion of the CF card exposed from the upper opening of the CF-card storage section of the PC card adapter has an increased height portion having a greater height than the space-entering portion, tall electronic components can be mounted on a circuit board inside the tall portion. This increases the mounting density of components on the circuit board. Moreover, the CF card is easily loaded in the PC card adapter for a Type-1 CF card. This makes it possible to enhance the performance and to increase the functionality.
Since the mounting density of components on the circuit board is increased, the size of the extended portion is reduced, and the size of the CF card can also be reduced.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention having a tall portion which protrudes upward from the upper surface of the PC card adapter when the CF card is loaded in the PC card adapter, taller electronic components can be mounted thereon, and therefore, a CF card that is superior in performance and function is provided.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.